Tool.



UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

ALBERT'J. MEIER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TOOL.

SPECIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,214, dated October25, 1904.

Application iled January 9 1904.

To LM whom. 1115 Utcty concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. METER, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis,State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Tools, of which the following is afull, clear, and. exact description, such as will enable others skilledin' the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l isa side elevation, partly in section,certain of the parts being broken away, the full lines indicating thetool in closed or operative position and the tool being shown by brokenlines in open position. -Fig. la is a front view of the jaws. Fig. 2 isa rear elevation, partly in section, a portion of the securing memberbeing broken away. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on about the line 3 3of Fig. l; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views of the character of Fig. 3,said views illustrating modifications.

This invention relates to improvements in tools.

One object is to provide a tool-holder for tools having pivoted handleswhereby the toolpoints can be carried in said holder and connected tothe tool proper in such manner that such tool proper forms a handle forthe toolpoints. Of course the tool proper can be merely a handle, or itsjaws can be adapted to be used as pliers or other instruments.

A further object is to provide means whereby when the holding member isnot in use it is held out of the way of the operator.

To these ends the invention consists in the various matters hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, l l indicate handlespivoted at 2 and having jaws 3 secured thereto, all as will be readilyunderstood. To one of the `handles is pivotally connected a holdingmember 4, which is adapted to engage the other handle for the purpose ofholding said handles in such position that the jaws 3 are firmly closed,such a holding member being well understood in the art. Extending in thespace between the handles is a receptacle or tool-holder 5,

Serial No. 188,402. (No model.)

which is merely a conveniently-shaped box having what may be termedv itsforward end closed by the wall 6, while its open rear end isconveniently closed by means of the before-mentioned holding member 4.Toolpoints being carried in said holder or receptacle 5, any desiredpoint can be removed when the holding member or catch-4 is thrown intoopen position, and the tool-point thus removed can be clamped betweenthe jaws 3 in a manner which will be readily understood, the handlesbeing again fastened together by throwing the catch or holding member 4into closed handle-engaging position.

Manifestly the receptacle 5 can be supported between thehandles in manyways. Preferably each handle is curved in cross-section, as illustratedin Fig. 3, and the receptacle 5 is connected to one of the handles byrivets 7. Of course the receptacle could be not attached to either ofthe handles, but merely be received between said curved handles, asshown in Fig. 6. or the receptacle could be produced by making its walls8 integral withl or continuations of one of the handles, 13, as shown inFig. 5. Again, as shown in Fig. 4, one of the handles, lb, could haveits edges extending inwardly, as shown at 9, the receptaclev 5h beingprovided with longitudinal grooves adapted to receive inwardly-extendingportions 9 of the handle. The jaws 3 are preferably of such characterthat they can be employed for purposes other than that of holding thetool-points-e. g. the jaws illustrated can be used as pliers. When soused, it sometimes happens that the jaws are frequently openedandclosed, and it is therefore undesirable to lock these jaws togetherby means of the holding member 4. Were the holding member 4 merelyloosely mounted upon its pivot l0 such holding member would falloutwardly and get in the way of the user. I preferably, therefore,provide means whereby when thel holding member is not in use it is heldin a position out of the way of the user. As illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, a spring 11 is coiled about the pivot-pin l() andhas one end connected to the holding' member 4 and its other endconnected to the handle l, upon which said holding member is pivoted,said spring tending to force the holding member inwardly into theposition indicated by heavy dotted lines in Fig. l. llherefore if thehandles be opened when the holdingl member is not in holding oroperative position the spring immediately throws the holding memberinwardly and retains the same out of the way of the user. Of course thisholding' member, with its means for holdin g the same out of theoperators way, can be employed advantageously even when the tool-box orreceptacle is omitted.

l am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by 2O Letters Patent, isww l. rlhe combination with a toolhaving pivoted handles, and ]aws connected to sald handles, of atool-receptacle extending between said handles and provided with anopening for the passage of tool-points, and a holdingmember for holdingsaid handles together and eX- tending over said opening of saidtool-receptacle in proximity thereto to form a closure therefor;substantially as described.

2. The combination in a tool having pivotcd handles, of a holding membercooperating with said handles, and a spring connected to one of saidhandles and to said holding member and tending to force said holdingmember into folded position against one of said handles; substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afHX my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 7th day of January, 1904.

ALBERT J. MEIER.

Vitnesses:

LENORE J. VVILsoN, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

